Traveling case or bag.



B. M. STONE.

TRAVELING CASE OF BAG. APPLICATION FILED MAY 271 I918.

1,28,,Q6K Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

JavewZEr MZQZULQ B. M. STONE. TRAVELING CASE 0R BAG. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 1918.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ED STATES FATE BEN-M. s'roNE, 0F cHIo eo, rumors.

TRAVELING CASE 0R BAG.

Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedvDec. 1'7, 1918.

Application filed May 27, 1918. Serial No. 236,674.

This invention relates to improvements in travelers suit cases or bags, but more particularly to that type of device having removable trays.

In travelers suit cases or bags, particularly those designed for ladies use or'for traveling salesmen, such as jewelers, it is often necessary to have the case or bag sufficiently large to contain the desired amount .of clothing or other articles to be carried from the starting point to the point of destination, and at the same time large enough for a compartment or tray that will hold particular or predetermined articles, and

which may be removed from the traveling suit case or bag and used quite independently thereof, as a sample case, bag or container. One of the principal objects of my invention is to construct the tray of the suit case or bag in such a manner that it may perform its full function as a tray when in the case or bag, andwhich when removed bodily from the case or bag its parts may be so folded and locked together as to become a complete independent unit, such as separate container, sample case or bag, although of smaller dimensions than the traveling case or bag. This and other objects of my lnvention, as well as the advantages thereof, will be made manifest by reference to the accompanying drawings and as I proceed with the description thereof in this specification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 illustrates, in a perspective view, atravelers suit case or bag, embodying my invention, opened to disclose the interior.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the removabletray thereof, opened out, and detached from the case. V

Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the removed tray when folded upon itself and locked, to form a separate toilet, sample or other independent case or container.

Fig. 4 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view, enlarged, of the tray opened out.

Fig. 5 is a transverse, vertical,sectional view, slightly enlarged, of the tray folded or closed.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of one part of the tray taken upon the line 6, 6, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged View of a portion of the closed tray to more clearly illustrate the hinged relationship between two adjacent parts of the tray when folded.

In said drawings, A'represents a traveling bag as a whole, B the lower compartment or member, C the lid member and D the tray member as a whole.

. On the front face of the lower member B, I provide the usual handle 1, and a pair of locks,'2, 2. Upon the front edge of the lid member G and in proper position to engage with the escutcheon plates of the locks 2, 2, are the usual hasp members 3, 3. Holding straps of flexible material 5, 5 may be se-.

cured to the inside of the end walls of the lower member B, and of the lid member C.

The removable tray D is composed of three bottom sections 6, 7 and 8, the bottom section 8 being the middle or intermediate section. The section 6 is provided with an upturned circumferential frame member 9 upon three of its sides. The other end section 7 is likewise provided with an upturned circumferential frame member 10 on three of its sides. Leather or other suitable covering 11 is secured in the usual manner by glue or otherwise to the outside of the entire tray and a similar lining or other suitable material 12 is secured to the inside of the outer sections 6, 7 and of the middle section 8 of the tray. 4

That portion of the leather or other covering 11,.which extends transversely of the tray between the inner margin 13 of the section 6 and the adjacent margin of the middle section 8 will be flexible and constitute a hinge 14. Similarly that portion of the flexible covering between the inner margin 15 of the outer section 7 and the adjacent margin of the middle section 8 will likewise constitute a hinge 16. Preferably the inner lining 12 will be extended also between the margins of the middle section 8 and the adjacent edges 13, 15 of the outer sections 6 and 7, respectively, and will be glued, or otherwise secured, to the outer covering or leather 11, to strengthen the latter along the transverse lines at either margin of the middle section 8, thus forming strong hinged connections at l418 between the two outer sections 6 and 7 and the inner section 8. The upper edges 17 and 18 of the frames 9 and 10, respectively, are rabbeted, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, whereby when said edges are brought into juxtaposition, the frames 9 and 10 of the two sections 6 and 7 will fit and properly interlock so as to form the usual or conventional appearance exteriorly.

On the front or central portion of the frame 10 of the outer section 7, ll provide a handle member 19 and a conventional lock member 20. Upon the corresponding portion of the frame 9 of the outer section 6, ll provide a conventional hasp member 21. arranged for locking engagement with the lock 20. The distance between the approximate edges 22*23 of the frames 9 and 10, respectively, will be somewhat greater than the width of the intermediate middle section 8 so that when the two outer sections 6 and 7 are turned about the hinge members 14 and 16 and are brought into closed engagement as shown in Figs' 3 and 5, and locked in such engagement, the middle section 8 will form the bottom or rear part of the tray-bag or closure. The height of the frames 9 and 10 will be suitably proportioned to the width of the middle section 8, so that together, the two central parts of the frames 9 and 10 will form the front of thetray-bag or closure; while the two bottom sections 6 and 7 will form the side walls. Thus a complete unit as shown in Fig. 3 will be formed, convenient to carry about quite independently of the larger suit case or bag A.

At one end of the tray D, I may provide a suitable pocket formed by a partition 25' suitably hinged at one margin 26 and provided with bellows like side margin attachment at 27 of the outer section 6. It may also be provided with a hand-hole or strap 28; whereby partition 25 may be raised above the edge of the frame 9 and access be had to the compartment beneath it. Upon the face of this partition 25, I may, or may not, arrange suitable pockets 29 for toilet articles or the like, as shown.

A similarly hinged partition 30 may be secured to the outer tray 7 by a hinge 31 at one margin and may be provided with a pivoted support or standard 32 adapted to hold the partition in the raised position as shown in Fig. 4. Suitable straps or pockets 333% may be placed on the face of the partition 30 and on the face of the middle section 8 respectively, for holding toilet articles if desired. Instead of the pockets 29, 33 and 34, suitable partitions or compartments may be made, if desired, to hold samples or other articles. Preferably, of course,

the tray member will be trimmed with the same leather or outer covering as that used for the traveling case or bag and likewise will conform to the interior finish of the traveling case or bag.

In the event of a lady, for example, using the removable tray for toilet articles, not wishing to have the bother and annoyance, several times in the course of a days travel, of having to open her traveling bag or case A, and yet desiring to make use, during the same days travel, of the toilet-or other articles in the tray D, she will find it convenient to remove the tray or case D from the case or bag A, and close the lid C over the body B, and lock it. She may then place the traveling bag A, with the tray D and its contents removed therefrom, under the seat of her berth or in any other out of the Way place. She will then have her toilet or other articles in the small separate closure or bag indicated in Fig. 3 which she may keep locked. This small bag or container will be found to be very convenient in use. It may be placed beside her on the berth seat and being very light in weight, will be easy to carry about with her, as desired. The interior of the removable tray D, as before stated, may be provided with any suitable arrangement of compartments or pockets, to hold jewelry or articles other than the toilet articles illustrated. Other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, all of which I desire to have comprehended within the scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

A suit case or bag provided with a removable tray having an intermediate section and the twov end sections hingedly secured on opposite sides thereof, and adapted for being folded as shown in Fig. 5, and provided with means for locking the sections together when the tray is removed from the case or bag, possesses many ad vantages. It is neat in appearance and is not expensive to manufacture.

I claim as my invention:

1. A traveling case or bag comprising a body portion, a top member hinged thereto, means for locking said members together, a removable tray member, means for converting said tray into a smaller hand bag or case by folding the tray member upon itself, and means for locking the converted case or bag to form an independent closure when removed from the traveling bag.

2. In a traveling case or bag, comprising two compartments hinged together and means for locking the same when closed, a removable tray member adapted to be folded upon itself to form an independent strucedly secured upon opposite sides of the intermediate section, and means for locking the folded sections together.

3. In a traveling case or bag comprising a body portion and a top portion hinged together and locking means, a removable tray adapted to be converted to form an independent closure when removed from the traveling bag or case, comprising an intermediate section and two end sections, the latter being hingedly secured upon opposite sides of the frame, each end section being provided with a side wall and two end walls constituting a frame member extending around three margins of the end section, and means for locking said sections together in their closed relation.

4. A traveling case or bag comprising a body portion, a top member hinged thereto,

means for locking said members together, a

removable tray member adapted to be con verted into a smaller traveling case or hand bag by being folded upon itself, said tray member comprising an intermediate section and two end sections, each end section being provided with a frame member or wall extending around three of its margins, said end sections being hingedly secured on opposite sides of the intermediate section, the distance between the proximate ends of the section frames when the tray member is in unfolded position, being greater than the width of the intermediate section, and means for locking the 'end sections in their folded or closed relation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of May'A. D. 1918.

BEN M. STONE.

Witnesses:

"TAYLOR E. BROWN,

KARL W. DALL. 

